The total of native bee species in European nations experiencing dying out has increased twofold over the past decade, whereas the count of at-risk butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinating species was revealed by research studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least 172 bee varieties out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in the European continent.
The count of butterfly types threatened with extinction in Europe has grown from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the previous assessment, conducted a decade and a half ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
In addition to their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our physical condition, our food chains and our financial structures – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” commented the IUCN’s director general. “The most recent assessments of the European red list reveal serious challenges, with risks increasing for butterfly species and crucial non-managed bee types.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the continuing harm or degradation of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and abandoned land, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the application of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the threat of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also shown to be a major threat: 52% of all at-risk butterfly types in Europe are endangered by the climate emergency – about double the number as a previous decade.
Nearly 90% of plants that flower in European nations require animal pollination, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, native bee populations are in drastic decline and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee types, known for pollinating trees such as willows and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species unique to the mainland and the only species of this biological genus in Europe, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific category most akin to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly species that are only found on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they have to climb upward as their living spaces become warmer but in the end have no room left. In the southern part of Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling are imperilled by severe drought and wildfires.
In the meantime, in the Arctic region, global warming is leading to the forest boundary to shift northward by many meters each year, with scrub taking over wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no longer cross the frozen water to graze northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are at risk of extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The largest living space for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly in the European continent because of all these elements,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many citizens are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to turn around the drop in pollinators by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are engaged. We hope they can get the incentives that will assist them on their way.”
As stated by Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinating species which will not lower crop yields – and could improve it – such as growers establishing bloom-filled edges around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, described the protection status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to address this risk. Along with member countries, the European Commission has established an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our progress. Now, we need to prioritize implementation and cooperation with participating nations to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The release of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies follows the first Europe-wide study on hoverflies, an additional vital group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in Europe were facing extinction.
